


Avoidance strategy

by RaspberryDevil



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Biting, Developing Relationship, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 13:05:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6705535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryDevil/pseuds/RaspberryDevil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Daishou looks from Kuroo to the laptop, gaze wandering around the room, his eyes trailing along the clothes on the floor which are either his or Kuroo's, who knows, their belonging mixed, no real order in their dorm, not any more, before it hits him – or so Kuroo thinks when he sees his eyes widen."</p>
<p>They aren't really friends, but Kuroo loves kissing him and Daishou can't complain about their arrangment either. And yet they probably should talk about their relationship or what it seems to be instead of shoving a hand down each other's pants whenever things get complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Avoidance strategy

**Author's Note:**

> I love KuroShou and wrote a few short stories about them before. But then I was like “I should really write something longer than 1k” and so I put three of the five stories I wrote together, edited them and added at least half the content to make it a complete story... this was the result. 
> 
> I wanted to write something which shows that even after resolving things at first glance and dating, there is more to it in order to make this relationship work. And so the ending might seem rather open.

Lately there is a recurring thought Kuroo has whenever something happens:

They should really stop using kisses as distraction to avoid talking.

 

* * *

 

Kuroo is all long limbs and broad shoulders. Daishou doesn't complain though. It just means that there is enough skin to claim, leaving bite marks on his thigh which would be barely covered during the next day of practise.

It should be enough to piss Kuroo off, the possibility of their teammates to connect the dots and find out about their arrangement, lecturing them, even though they aren't captains any more and can use their new free time as they like, for training, studying or kisses which would lead to making out. But instead of complaining about it, Kuroo just smirks. Most of the time Daishou can deal with it, after all this is familiar territory, the bickering a way to communicate for them; whether this is healthy seems to be a different story. Besides, if there is one thing he hates about Kuroo, it's how content he looks after sex. He shouldn't be so pleased with himself, not when it's him who whimpers with pleasure after Daishou backs off, thumb caressing the bruises his mouth left behind.

(Maybe it's because Kuroo leaves scratches along his back in return, one for each bite mark Daishou gives him, looking at his back the next morning as if he created a masterpiece.)

In the end, Daishou ignores it in favour of focusing on other things: Kuroo sounds gorgeous when he moans. It's one of the few positive things about him, Daishou thinks, how vocal Kuroo is when he lies under him, submissive like he should be since they meet for the first time in middle school.

“Well, there would be no fun holding back, right?”, Kuroo said after Daishou had pointed out how lewd he acted, asking what his neighbours have to think about him now, “besides this proves that you're not bad in bed. Even though you're annoying."

Kuroo had said it with a smirk, aware of the upper hand he had in this moment, and it's something Daishou hates as well.

“You're such an arrogant prick.”

“I must be really good then, when you still come back even though you hate me so much.”

Daishou swallows his pride just for this moment, to see the surprise flicker across Kuroo's face when he agrees, licking his lips, an actions which leaves the other one even more speechless; he can't help continuing, his mouth faster than his brain.

“I wonder what your team would think when I tell them how you like it. Getting fucked by me, squirming and moaning my name until you're hoarse. Would I still be the filthy one?”

It was nice while it lasted – the smirk is back in place, but Daishou doesn't want to hear the reply, can guess it and this is the most infuriating part because this means they spend enough time together to read each other; he kisses him and Kuroo is never one to deny him, even though his expression doesn't change.

“Don't worry, you're still my favourite”, Kuroo whispers in his ear when they lie together in bed, catching their breath after another afternoon wasted together.

(Kuroo sounds so sincere that Daishou believes him for a second.)

* * *

 

 

When Kuroo found out that he and Daishou were going to attend the same university, he was already regretting to consider it in the first place. When it turned out that they would share a dorm, he asked himself why he hadn't stayed with his parents like he planned at the beginning. But there was no helping it because he'd be damned to let this get him from advancing. And even when they were on the same team he wouldn't let himself be distracted. Unfortunately he wasn't very good at listening to his own advice.

And so after bottled up frustration and the realisation that dating a woman is nice but dating a guy isn't bad as well, it was only a matter of time before Daishou joined him in bed. And he isn't bad, covering up any inexperience with actions which affect Kuroo in ways he never considered to be possible. It was good, certainly something he didn't regret starting. He might have enjoyed himself a bit as well so far. 

Who was he lying to, Kuroo clearly enjoys their time, otherwise he wouldn't share a bed with a guy who was a constant annoyance in volleyball matches. Maybe it's irony but Daishou loves biting, marking him up just as much as he himself likes scratching. And yet most of the time they take their time. 

(When they had tried a quick once between deadlines as stress relief, it didn't really end well for either of them.)

Considering that Daishou would never taint his own reputation, Kuroo also believes that he wouldn't get him in trouble in front of his friends or colleagues. He's filthy but not dirty enough to claim that Kuroo was the one who seduced his poor innocent soul.

Maybe.

Well, until now things were working out between them just fine and he was pleased with their arrangement. But then Daishou acted weird and Kuroo had no idea why.

  


* * *

  


“What the hell?”, Daishou breathes out, causing the other one to drop his smile and drawing his eyebrow together when he turns his head in his direction.

Daishou hadn't realised that he had said this out loud and caught Kuroo's attention with it. He is too busy ignoring the sudden lump which formed in his throat and the sudden warmth spreading in his chest. He is used to Kuroo's smirks and even his laughter is nothing new, yet this smile gives him the rest.

But it's not supposed to make him feel that way, after all his own smile simply causes Kuroo to voice his displeasure with a sigh. Maybe it's because his ones are fake, learned to use as a polite apology in situations he created for his favours, an act he perfected.

“Hm?”

The other one's obliviousness leaves Daishou embarrassed about his own reaction, even angry, but his blush doesn't help to shrug it off as annoyance. It never does.

“Are you getting shy? Adorable.”

At least the smirk is back in place again, the upcoming bickering helping him to focus on the task. Because a few of Nekoma's players as well as former ones who came watching their match and wanted to get dinner later together (causing this stupid smile on the other one's lips, showing that their friendship meant the world to him) won't stop Daishou from getting laid tonight.

“You wish”, Daishou retorts, “don't forget that it was my turn to set the rules for today's evening.”

“And now you're disappointed that I'm going to spend the night with my friends. I see.”

“I'm always surprised how bad you are at interpreting my words. Or do you want to see me getting jealous? Are you fantasising about it, huh? You know, you just have to ask and I might indulge you in your fanatsies”

Kuroo knows that he is going to lose this. He is tired after their match against another university team, doesn't really have the energy left to go for their usual teasing, but he won't give in because it's been a few months since he's seen the others and he really wants to catch up with them. Daishou has to respect that, after all he didn't complain when Numai asked his former captain to come over, during a time Kuroo actually needed him (it hadn't been too serious in the end but from that one, they started asking how far they are supposed to go for the other one).

“Don't worry, you can set the rules for the next two evenings, I don't want to take this single pleasure from you.”

This is certainly not what Daishou wanted to achieve, but he sees no reason to refuse. He still won't – can't – admit that he loves the nights when Kuroo is the one in control, deciding on the way they spend their time together; even to himself it's hard to admit.

“Fine. Don't get drunk though, you always smell disgusting.”

“Ah, I'm so glad that you're looking out for me. Don't worry, I try my best.”

It's not the smirk which tells Daishou that he doesn't care about the other one's annoyance or the fact that Kuroo rarely listens to him out of stubbornness. It's the knowledge that Kuroo is easy coaxed into drinking when he is nostalgic and spending time with his former teammates, like an old man enjoying time passing slowly and without a care in the world. And while he couldn't care less about that, it's not the smell he hates but the fact that a drunken Kuroo has no sense of privacy, being disgustingly affectionate; considering his sudden reaction to the smile, Daishou doesn't trust himself to relive the experience from their first time getting drunk together.

And so he doesn't stay long in their dorm that day and crashes at Sakijima's place instead. The setter of his former team doesn't question his unannounced visit – even though their universities are half an hour apart by train – and ignores him as good as possible.

That is until Daishou sighs for the fifth time within a span of a few minutes.

“Don't get on my nerve with your lover's grief. It's disgusting.”

The statement takes Daishou by surprise, is one of the last things he expected so that he doesn't even have a reply apart from a “I'm not lovesick” which only follows after a moment of hesitation and starring at each other; Sakijima looks pretty unamused, annoyed that his friend is in denial about his own feelings.

“So, you are not sulking then? Because lover boy is busy?”

Daishou just makes a disgusted face. Looking back at it, he should have suspected something like that – Sakijima is no angel and knows ways to rile up people, using pieces of information he gained by simply observing; it's a trait worthy of a setter who has to watch each of his teammates' movement.

“Obviously not.”

It's Sakijima's turn to sigh. He gets up from his desk and tells Daishou to move over, sitting down next to him after grabbing his laptop on the way.

“You've really outdone yourself this time”, Sakijima mentions when he puts on a film, leaning with his shoulder against Daishou's one and laptop on his lap so that the other one can watch as well, tilting the screen.

Daishou says nothing to that, but the unspoken answer is obvious enough to him.

 

_~_

 

“Nah, but really, I can't see the appeal”, Taketora says, commenting on Kuroo's choice to spend his time with Daishou, a barking laughter following when Kuroo just smiles, adding a “'s fine, neither do I.”

“Liar.”

“Huh, what was that, Kenma?”

“You'll fall in love. You always do.”

Yaku sighs, answering instead of the younger one, voicing what not just Kenma but also Kai thinks, ending their discussion at that point because they didn't come together just to talk about something Kuroo hasn't figured out on his own yet.

And so it's only when Kuroo makes his way back that he tries to figure out the meaning behind the comment, can't stop thinking about their words. Was he really that simple? It's not a bad thing, is it? Kuroo can't blame them after all he would be protective if one of them would be dating Daishou, doubting his intention – the thought makes him halt: are they even dating at this point? They never called it that way, but he also knows that Daishou isn't seeing anyone at the moment and neither is he. Maybe they should talk about this after all.

_Apparently not today though._

Daishou isn't there when he comes back and to be honest, Kuroo didn't really expect anything else. He remembers the first time he had gotten drunk: There had been no sex or making out, just cuddling and a few snatched kisses. Daishou was oddly enough always cold and searching for warmth which Kuroo gladly provided and had even yearned for in this moment. 

But even apart from that they were touchy, always searched for body contact, their hands all over each other when they kissed, never lingering on one place to long. It's how they liked it. But now that Kuroo thought about it – did he ever tell Daishou that he enjoyed their time together, not just the sex but also these quiet moments? He had, hadn't he? After all, stating the obvious is their thing. Because calling the other one filthy or arrogant is a given, just as much as admitting that they liked sleeping with each other. And yet, he realises, there is so much left unsaid, topics they don't dare to address, weighting them down.

Eventually, it was just a question of time before Kuroo would be the first one to break.

 

* * *

 

 

“I like you.”

No teasing, no smirk, a simple truth spoken – maybe this is the reason why it throws Daishou off-guard.

“Don't say it like that”, he hisses back at Kuroo, cheeks flushed from embarrassment and anger, “don't you dare to bring this up now.”

Not after he spend last week at Sakijima's place and mulled over their relationship, coming back the next day to see Kuroo in _his_ bed, as if he missed his presence and wanted to be closer. Not when Daishou couldn't stop thinking about his smile and how much he wants to kiss him or just quietly sit next to each other. Not after realising that the thing between them will take a lot of effort, building mutual trust, something he doesn't think he deserves.

That thing about them was supposed to be simple – physical attraction leading to making out and enjoying sex, but nothing more than that. This isn't how it was planned. They were in the middle of university, slowly trying to find themselves between deadlines and pressure; realising that they liked men and women helped a lot, and was one of the few things they weren't in denial about. There was no time to get attached, no reason to _('do you need a reason if you felt that way before?_ ' a little voice in the back of his mind says, even though Daishou tries to ignore it).

“Asshole.”

“I know.”

Kuroo is rarely patient with the other one, always pushing buttons and snapping at him. But now he is calm and waits until Daishou stops hyperventilating about a confession which doesn't even come close to an 'I love you'.

(Not yet).

“Then why did you say that?”

“I just felt like it, okay?”, Kuroo growls, slowly realising what he actually started with a statment which had been long overdue, “don't make such a big deal of it.”

“I'm not.”

Daishou's voice is too shrill to make it believable and it would by funny in any other situation, but now Kuroo fears that he fucked up and already imagines different scenarios, all of them ending with bruises which weren't caused by kisses.

“Then why aren't you laughing it off?”, Kuroo accuses him, “stop making this difficult by reacting that way and just be your usual self and say something like 'sucks to be you then' or 'finally fallen for my charms, it was unavoidable'.”

Kuroo is rambling by now, he knows that, but he can't stop himself and only when the other one interrupts him with a yell does he stop, blinking and wondering whether he understood correctly.

“What?”

“I said 'I like you, too', you bastard.”

Daishou is blushing, no real anger behind the insult, but Kuroo doesn't point it out because he feels his own face heating up as well and so he has to fight the urge to hide it behind his hand in order to save at least a bit of his dignity.

“Oh.”

“'Oh?' Is this all?”  
Daishou's eyebrow twitches in annoyance – doesn't he deserve a bit more than that? He isn't like Kuroo who has no trouble admitting how he feels, can't just brush things off and takes a lot of things personal even though he tries to work on that.

“Excuse me, this is new to me as well”, Kuroo replies and the missing teasing proves as much, no 'do you want me to clap you on your back and kiss it better' which would piss him off and due to that enough reason to say it.

“Then stop bringing this up and just - ”

Daishou doesn't continue with words, gesticulates instead, hoping that Kuroo would get the point. He does and reaches out for Daishou to kiss him. This is familiar territory, they think, but it feels different even though they can't tell if it's better or worse.

(Definitely better, Kuroo decides when he watches the other one sleeping, the slow rise and fall of his chest; he curls up next to Daishou and joins him in a dreamless slumber before his thoughts lead him to a place neither is ready for.)

* * *

 

 

To be honest, Kuroo already assumed that they stepped some line in different forms. Kuroo admitted that he liked him and so did Daishou, not to mention the cuddling they often enough preferred over making out. And again he thinks that maybe they should have considered talking an option instead of the kissing. But it doesn't occur to him how far behind they left this line until now, when they are watching an animal documentary together with Daishou resting his head against his shoulder.

“Fuck.”

Daishou doesn't seem to deem his sudden change in mood serious enough, but when Kuroo who rarely curses does so again, he sleepily raises his head to look at him.

“Are you feeling sorry for the prey? Didn't think you were that soft.”

Kuroo doesn't – can't – react to his taunt like usual. Everything is too much, the warm body against him, the deep sleep-drained voice and just the domesticity of it all.

“What are we doing?”

“Watching a shitty docu one of your friends told you about?”

“No, what are we doing here?”

Daishou looks from Kuroo to the laptop, gaze wandering around the room, his eyes trailing along the clothes on the floor which are either his or Kuroo's, who knows, their belonging mixed, no real order in their dorm, not any more, before it hits him – or so Kuroo thinks when he sees his eyes widen.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Wait, what?”

It's the last thing Kuroo would have expected – though there hadn't been anything he really wondered about, now that he spends another second reflecting on his action.

“What is this, some sort of joke to you? Because then I gladly leave.”

“The hell is wrong with you now?”

“Wrong with me? You were the one who confessed and now I'm the idiot for thinking that – ”

“Thinking what?”

“No, just no. You know what? Figure it our on your own”, Daishou spats, but it doesn't have the effect he desires because instead of being able to stand up and leaving in a huff, he has trouble freeing himself out of the blanket cocoon and instead just falls off the bed, cursing.

Kuroo can't process right away what is going and simply watches how Daishou struggles on the floor with freeing himself just to gives up, robbing out of the room. It's in this moment that Kuroo catches up with the situation, but instead of saying something, he laughs; it makes Daishou halt.

“What are you laughing about, you –”, he growls, before he feels Kuroo crush on him, eliciting a yelp he denies inwardly.

“Move, you fat cat”, he grunts after a few silent seconds passed, unable to anticipate the next action, maybe even scared of it, stepping a line they already brushed.

“I can't believe you thought we were dating”, Kuroo blurts out, doesn't seem like he intends to move, though when Daishou hears that, it's the least thing on his mind.

“You –”

“I can't believe that I didn't realise we actually were dating”, he adds, causing Daishou to pause, a blush spreading along his cheeks, especially when Kuroo is nuzzling his neck, switching to peppering kisses along the skin.

“Shut it and help me up.”

Daishou can't meet his eyes, though thankfully enough Kuroo does move away and gently, almost as if he fears to hurt him, unwraps him, tossing the blanket aside.

“There. All better.”

“No, shit, nothing is.”

He is right, Kuroo realises, and taking a deep breath, he simply kneels down in front of Daishou, face burying in his hands

“I'm tired of this.”

The truth is that Daishou can't deny, thinks so too, and it breaks something between them. Daishou is unable to name it, but when he hears how resigned Kuroo sounds, he gets it. And maybe he had been wrong at the beginning of all of this, when he thought that being roommates who occasionally fucked wasn't going to get complicated.

 

_~_

 

Their conclusion to have kind-of-but-not-really sorted out their feelings shouldn't be sex, but to their defence, it had been a while even though they might not have realised it, just seeing each other being enough comfort.

They are always slow but this time it looks like Daishou can't get enough of the other one, his teeth grazing the skin of his thigh, biting, while Kuroo lays on his back and just allows it. Daishou replenishes in his moans, even though Kuroo bites his pillow, head tilted to the side. It's a view he can't get enough of.

“Gorgeous.”

Daishou allows the word to slip, enjoys how the other one shudders, the thought of Kuroo praising him in return present. It doesn't remain a wishful thought long, not when Kuroo pulls him up, kissing his lips and grinding their hips together, calling him beautiful while his nails explore the back.

They are a mess afterwards, not just emotionally, so they lay next to each other on their back after taking a long and warm shower.

“What?”, Daishou wants to know when he feels Kuroo looking at him.

_'Nothing'_ , Kuroo wants to say, but then he remembers that Daishou hates it when he lies about his behaviour and to be honest, he enjoys this moment too much to start arguing.

“Just realised that one time talking about it doesn't mean everything is okay.” _We could have been like this sooner if it hadn't been for our ego and insecurities_ , is a thought he adds in his mind, but the short frown on Daishou's face is enough hint to show that he might have had the same one.

“What, are we going to form our own support group to talk about our feeling? Go to your Nekoma friends for this.”

For Kuroo there is no way telling whether the lacking bite of Daishou's response is due to the tiredness or the contentment after the relaxing shower, not to mention the possibility of it being just a simple defence mechanism, a habit he works on getting rid of.

“I could take you along, so you can meet with us”, he suggest carefully, unsure whether this is the right thing to do – he remembers Taketora's comment and while he really can understand it, he wants to introduce him again, without the years of rivalry between them, show his friend who makes him happy.

(Kuroo hasn't acknowledged it before, but Daishou does make him happy, even if there are still times he wants to give up trying and leave – in the end the decided on staying and he thinks this counts more than anything else.)

“No need to, I remember them very well.”

“As a player. But not as my boyfriend.”

An answer is nothing Kuroo expects, allows the proposition to hang between them. After all nobody said that talking was going to be easy. Somehow though, Kuroo thinks they are on a good way.

And when he curls up next to Daishou, it feels like a little victory that the other one turns around to embrace him and a little “well, we'll see” is mumbled against his hair.

  


 


End file.
